Brains Brains BRAINS! (it's a tastey giveaway)

Who doesn't love zombies? No one that's who. Because everyone loves zombies I'm letting you in on an awesome giveaway over at The Bookish Brunette  called Zombie Craze! I know, pretty sweet huh? Lots of freakin' excellent zombie books are being given away. So, either click on The Brunette's clicky link above or you can click on her pink Zombie Queen link on my right sidebar. Either way works and would be totally worth it! Giveaway ends on 5/31/12 so hurry!

77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz

Synopsis: I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton's history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .
 —The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.

But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.

My Thoughts: This book was a revisit to Koontz's earlier horror type books which was a nice change of pace from the last few that I've read by him. I don't want to get into the plot of the book because to explain it I'd have to be way too detailed than I want to be at 3am but here are some pluses and minuses of the book...

Minuses---
A lot of characters (this is a big city condo building and this book is about the people in the building....there were close to 20)

Very wordy (one of the characters is a conspiracy theorist...I ended up skipping whole paragraphs when the book was focused on him)

Often times the book read a bit complex to where I was confused and had to back track and read parts again (sometimes whole pages)

Ended with some questions unanswered (however the ending was a plus overall)

Big bad evil creatures had a name that annoyed me (granted that is just a weird quirk of mine)

Pluses---
Interesting characters (not all of them but a large portion) a couple of which had some really good banter between them

Time travel (not a big fan of time travel but the way Koontz carried it out was very interesting)

Ultimately the ending (despite the fact that I still have some unanswered questions) was actually wrapped up nicely. Not too quickly wrapped up and it was quite satisfying.

The book is written in a way that I can only describe as each set of characters having their own television channel and we, the readers, are flipping through the channels which are being broadcasted live as the Pendelton building is going through some crazy stuff. So chapter two might have a heading that says Bailey Hawks then in a few pages it will skip to Winny and Twyla. Does that make any sense? There are also very short chapters scattered through the book italicized and titled as The One. These chapters are from the big bad evil's point of view. I think this way of writing this book was excellent especially with the number of characters involved. We were never wondering whose storyline we were reading about at any given moment.

I do wish the book had been at least 100 pages shorter (this book was hardcover at 450-ish pages) but I honestly don't know what he could have cut (other than some of his more elaborately descriptive passages).

Overall this book was an ok read. I think the build up took a long time despite the creepy happenings. Once I got to page 250 or so it sped up. But that is a long time to wait.

Sweet Enemy by Diana Palmer

Synopsis: Under His Spell Sparring Partners Wholesome Maggie Kirk had always been wary of commanding cowboy Clint Raygen. So if her best friend's forbidding older brother rubbed her the wrong way, how come she'd chosen his ranch to recover from a broken heart? She knew the dangers that her foe posed . . . yet every time she crossed paths with the hard-edged cattle rancher, her pulse would race out of control. Maggie secretly dreamed of awakening to womanhood in Clint's powerful embrace . . . but did these sweet enemies have a shot at becoming lifelong lovers?

My Thoughts: So after finishing  Sweet Enemy I was hovering between 1 or 2 for a rating and decided based on the fact that this is a Harlequin written in 1979 I'd have to give it a little leeway so I went with the higher rating.

Overbearing older rich man. 20 year old naive virgin. Older man brutally kisses young woman one minute (because she wants it) and the next ridiculing her for her weakness (for wanting him). Over and over and over it went. They fought like cats and dogs but he apparently wanted her anyway, yet treated her badly. It was back to the frame of mind 'when a boy pulls your hair it means he likes you' kind of thing. The hero was terrible. He belittled her repeatedly then grabbed her forcibly and punished her with a long bruising kiss which she fought against for all of 1.5 seconds only to succumb to his expertise in the ways between a man and woman. At which point he would shove her away from him stare her down in an accusatory way because it was her fault he wanted her. I especially enjoyed (not) the time he told her to to tell him she wanted him. Then he made her beg for him. After she said please bend me over your desk....(ok that didn't really happen) but after she basically begged him to make love to her he mocked her feelings for him in such a way it made her feel 1/2 an inch tall. She managed to get a dig into him to try to salvage what was left of her dignity only to have him be even more calculating and mean to her later in retaliation to his bruised pride.

She was just as bad as he was. Her main flaw was that she let him treat her so poorly. In addition she actually decided she loved him. Really?

I rarely run across a book that I absolutely detest the two main characters so much but on the upside I liked a couple of the minor characters. One might have his own Harlequin out there somewhere (this book is book #179 in the MacFadden Romance series so who knows). Unfortunately the other character I actually liked died during the course of the book.

As far as Palmer's writing goes, I can't fault it that much other than I've heard she has not modified her style even after over 30 years of writing. Her heroes are all still like this and her heroines are all innocent virgins no matter what their age. As far as this book goes the only plot there seemed to be was the combustible relationship the hero and heroine had. I find it a bit odd that the romance is  the plot devise in this book. Normally you would find a plot that carries the storyline along during which, the H/h fall in love. So, plot not good. However, somehow Palmer did make me feel for the heroine during her lowest point despite the fact that I didn't like her and she was everything that I detest in a female character. So she gets kudos for that. Not everyone can make me feel sorry for a character that I hate.

Now the big question.....will I read another Palmer or not. I will. Only because this is the only book I've read by her and I believe in giving an author a better chance than that. I will read at least one more book by her just to make sure that this particular book wasn't just an unfortunate release to an otherwise stellar bibliography.

Stray by Rachel Vincent

Synopsis: I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifer, and I live in two worlds. — Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. 
— I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws and I'm not afraid to use them... 

My thoughts: Faythe is one of only a handful of Tabbies in the North American Prides making her and the others highly treasured. When a Stray, a werecat with no Pride, attacks Faythe she is rushed home to her father's home and her Pride. This doesn't sit well with her as she has been struggling to make a life for herself. To be independent when her entire family struggles to keep her in their fold is a constant struggle. When a Tabbie goes missing Faythe knows that is the end of her independence but hopes to convince everyone in her life that she can take care of herself.

I thought that Faythe's constant whining about wanting to be away from the Pride was a bit much. As a large cat, her instincts should be completely opposite of wanting to be alone. Her need to prove she can take care of herself puts her in dangerous situations making her someone I'd want to slap. The first half of the book was tolerable but dragged with this. It also had most of the world building and a lot of info dumpage on how Prides work.
Thankfully the last half of the book really picked up. Faythe redeemed herself and towards the end I saw her as a total kick butt chick but still vulnerable. Stray really handed the reader some great villains and awesome (yet graphic) fighting scenes. Overall a really good read despite it was over 600 pages and the first half felt tedious.

Honey and the Hired Hand by Joan Johnston

Synopsis: Wanted: Ranch hand to mend fences--and broken hearts. . . — When her first husband, a Texas Ranger, was killed on the job, Honey Farrell swore she'd never risk her heart again. She no longer has time for men, anyway--not with a ranch to run, a dwindling bang account and two teenaged boys to raise. So when cowboy Jesse Whitelaw turns up on her doorstep looking for work, he seems like the answer to her prayers.

But Honey doesn't know that Jesse's actually a Ranger himself, going undercover to break up a cattle-rustling ring--and as she and Jesse get closer, the secrets he's keeping could destroy them both.

My Thoughts (which will result in spoilers just an FYI): So, why does a book that is really not much more than 250 pages (large font by the way) take me almost 80 days to read? Is it because I have ADD? Did I misplace the book while rescuing kittens from trees? Or maybe it just isn't that good of a book. I'm no literary genius but I'm going to go with the latter.

I found that the entire book's series of events were completely off putting and ridiculous. Here as some low lights.

1)Honey and Jesse meet for the first time at a party outside in the darkness. She doesn't see him because of the dark until she almost runs into him. Somehow she isn't frightened by his presence even though he isn't wearing party clothes because he must be a party guest since there was a party going on but he looked more like a down on his luck drifter. When she steps away from him after almost running into him he grabs her wrist. She threatens to scream but they both know she won't. After all there is nothing to be alarmed about a woman coming across a shabbily dressed stranger, after dark, all alone, who grabs her....COME ON!!!!

2)Jesse admits that he had been peeping through the windows staring at her all night. Hello Stalker!

3)"Honey turned to the stranger to excuse herself and gasped....... "You're Indian!" she exclaimed." Um OK....I thought this was a contemporary romance. Well, it was written in 1992 as a Silhouette Desire....those are contemporary right?

4)Honey's friend Angel is terrified of Jesse because he is Indian. Are you sure this is contemporary?

5)Angel can't explain fully why she is terrified of Indians because her time traveling from 1864 to the present would seem far fetched. Time Travel? Really? REALLY?!?!?! Why not? It can't be any more far fetched than people in 1992 being startled by someone of American Indian descent.

6)After only a few days Honey is thinking of breaking up with her boyfriend who asked her to marry him and Jesse is thinking of settling down and having babies with Honey.

And it goes on to chapter 2 (ok maybe chapter 3)but thankfully I've already forgotten most of it. Oh and I was also annoyed with the cover. Pretty cover but it really makes no sense that the barn is sitting in the middle of a field of wildflowers.

Navy Baby by Debbie Macomber

Synopsis: It was a night she'd never forget. . .two strangers coming together in one breathless moment of intense need and heart-stopping desire. But now sheltered Hannah Raymond is expecting the child of rugged naval seaman Riley Murdock--a man she never thought she'd see again. . .

Riley has been searching for the elusive Hannah for months--ever since that night of searing passion left him shaken to the very depths of his soul. Now fate has finally reunited them. Determined to give his child the chance he'd never had, Riley marries Hannah.

They had created he miracle of life together, but would that be enough to spark the miracle of love?

My Thoughts: I think this book overall was a decent one but it did have some flaws that are more book irritants to me than actual flaws.

The heroine is much too naive, virginal and immature to me at the beginning. She didn't take ownership of her own life and she allowed her minister father to tell her that she was getting married because she ended up pregnant even though, by lack of school activity, it appeared she had to be an adult. Her age was a complete mystery too. Despite the book setting up that she was a naive virgin because she was raised by her preaching father I still couldn't buy it. In 1991 when this book was written (and I graduated high school) her lack of maturity just felt false. She wasn't living a sheltered life in the middle of the country in corn and cow land for Pete's sake. She lived near Seattle Washington. And a shotgun wedding? In 1991? In America? Really?

Another 'deal breaker' for me is the additional God talk peppered into the book. No, I was never quoted scriptures but did tire of hearing that a certain incident happened because it was God's will.

I did like the volatile relationship that Riley and Hannah had. They were virtual strangers who ended up man and wife. I liked how hard each of them tried at one point or another to get along with their spouse. I also found myself getting irritated when one of them would provoke another misunderstanding. Glad the book wasn't any longer though because the lack of communication resulting in misunderstandings would have gotten on my nerves too.

Another plus to this particular book is that even though they met and had sex within hours of bumping into each other the love story developed over the period of 8 months or so. There was no instantaneous I love Yous. Thumbs up for that!

So, not a bad book for a Harlequin. Glad I read it. I will not read it again though and am not rushing to read the rest of D-Mac's Navy series.

(originally published in 1991 as a Silhouette Special Edition #697)

Alone by Lisa Gardner

Synopsis: Alone ... Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man's finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react ... and forever pay the consequences.

Alone ... that's where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son's death ... and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

Alone ... a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison where he'd done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous ... and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence -- but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who's woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone.

My Thoughts: Alone was quite good but honestly none of the characters were that likable. I could see how a fan of Gardner's would say that this series is not their favorite. Setting aside the fact that DD Warren was barely a secondary character even though her name is on the cover one would have to go on their thoughts about Bobby Dodge. He is kind of a cowboy who bucks the rules...more like thumbs his nose at them....and has things about himself he would rather not discuss so he lies about them. It was hard to warm up to him and don't even get me started on my thoughts of Catherine. All together this book is filled with broken characters making due with what life has handed them and not necessarily in a way that takes them along the high road. I could sympathize with the characters but not empathize. 

Despite the list of unlikable characters I found myself needing to get back to the book so I could read what the outcome would be, mostly to see if Münchausen syndrome by proxy was why Catherine's child was so ill. I was quite satisfied with the way the book ended and will continue to read this series.

Edge of Sight by Roxanne St.. Claire

Synopsis:
The killer she can't escape . . . — The heartbreak she can't forget . . . — The one man who can stop them both. —
When Samantha Fairchild witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she works, the Harvard-bound law student becomes the next target of a professional assassin. Desperate for protection the authorities won't provide, Sam seeks help from Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter who recruits her brother, Zach, to protect Samantha. A Special Forces vet with the scars to prove he's equally fearless and flawed, Zach takes the job, despite the fact that he and Sam once shared a lusty interlude that ended when he left for war and disappeared from her life. Now, as they crack a conspiracy that leads to Boston's darkest corners, Sam and Zach must face their fears, desires, and doubts, before a hired killer gets a second shot...

My Thoughts:

About picking this book up to begin with:

I was a bit hesitant to start this book for a couple different reasons. First the series is called The Guardian Angelinos which I thought was just silly. The second was because St. Claire is a new to me author. Her Bullet Catchers series has been recommended to me but this was the only book I could get my hands on by her at the time. Overall I'm glad I went ahead with it. The name is still silly but I'm comforted to know that as this is the name of the new PI/Security company started by the Angelino/Rossi family and even the men in the family think the name is silly.

The Characters:
Zach: A scarred hero with a pocket full of regrets turned out to be a pretty decent hero. Not super human and full of doubts about his abilities as a bodyguard at the beginning of the book he reluctantly agreed to play bodyguard for an ex-flame. His inner struggles with his placement within his family smacked of a pity party and his logic behind ending his 3 week sex-athon with Samantha seemed twisted at best. He exhibited some tender moments that I truly adored though. Zaccaria is certainly not in the Suzanne Brockmann hero category but he isn't a bad one for sure.

Samantha: A witness in a murder who can't rely on her memory to ID the killer ends up on the killer's hit list despite the inability to ID him. She doesn't come across as a great heroine. She is plagued with self doubt and has spent a lot of years pining away for the man who left her after she said she loved him. I'm talking years and years by the way. She fell in love with him after spending 3 weeks of having hot monkey sex with him, said I love You and was surprised when he went away and never called her again. For some reason I am more annoyed with her about this whole thing. It's just as much Zach's fault but I expect more from my heroines. She does end up proving to me she isn't a whiner but overall I'm pretty "meh" about her.

The Rossi family: I found them to be very interesting and actually looking forward to eventually reading their books. What's not to like about a large Italian family right?

The Storyline:
A reunited storyline is not my favorite plot devise but overall it wasn't a bad one in this case. The two had baggage they had to deal with but with everything else going on it was ok. There is a good whodunit within the book and the pace of the book was decent. There were car chases, close calls, near drownings, bullets flying and wolves in sheep's clothing. The book did feel a bit too long even though it wasn't even 400 pages. There were a few things that I think could have been left out that wouldn't have altered the story at all. One sex scene in particular felt a bit gratuitous and weird considering the action that happened before it.

Overall: A decent romantic suspense. The negatives are minimal and the positives totally out weigh them. I look forward to reading more by this author even in this series despite the silly name.

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012!

So you know I am addicted to challenges right? Well, if you are new to my reading blog then you may not know that but trust me I am. While reading some of my favorite book blogs I came across a pretty awesome 100+ book challenge going on. It's hosted by Book Chick City and basically its super easy. All you need to do is read 100 books or more. The only restrictions are that they have to be fiction and cannot be audio books. The button for the challenge is in my right sidebar....clickity click to join. The more the merrier! You can join at any time and start participating on January 1st.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

 Synopsis: ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother, Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word. — ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC . . .

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

. . . TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home. . . .

My Thoughts: Finished Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas and loved it. It was heart warming and just a sweet type of romance. Despite the shortness of the book the story felt full and complete. I didn't find it ended abruptly as some people did but it kind of ended, to me, as a 'this is just the beginning for us' feeling. I very much enjoyed that even though this book was short the story took place over months and months time. So no 'instantaneous love' in this book...which is a huge bonus in my mind.

I really connected with Maggie who is a young widow and she is very much scared of moving forward in her love life. I loved that Mark is a 'we don't encourage whimsical imagination of faeries living in little houses' kind of guy who ended up making his niece a bowl of rainbow when she was sick. I loved that he went from an OMG I'm not a parent type of guy to knowing he is a father despite not being biologically correct. Lisa Kleypas creates excellent characters. I cannot wait for Sam and Alex's books. Seriously when are they coming out????

I was torn between 4.5 stars and 5....I ended up giving it 5 because my overall thoughts of "I wish it were longer" had nothing to do with making the book better. It was my own selfish reasoning in wishing it was longer. The story is excellent as is. I just wanted it to be a bigger book so I could continue with my enjoyment longer.

Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge 2012

 For the past couple years I have joined in on the Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge which was hosted by Yvonne over at Socrates' Book Reviews in the past. This year she has passed the torch to Evy over at Islandgirl Read Romance. The rules are pretty much the same except the Mr Linky is used to link our reviews for the books we read. Here are the general rules...

Rules:1 This Challenge is from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012.
2) All of the books must be from the Harlequin family of imprints (includes Mira books as well)
3) Read one book for each of the following requirements:

• The name of a place in the title (whether a country or small city or town)
• A weather condition in the title (snow, rain, storm etc.)
• A Title must be in the title of the book (Prince, Countess, etc)
• The author's first or last name beginning with the letter M
• A Holiday/Season in the title (Valentine, Christmas, Summer, etc)
• A color must be in the title (red, blue, green etc)

Other information:

1) Please join the challenge by signing up with Mr. Linky. The link must be the one announcing
     your participation on your blog - not just the link to your blog in general.

2) You can grab the button above and post it on your site.

3) A list ahead of time is not necessary and may be changed at any time

4) Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebook

5) Books may be used for other challenges

6) Go to eHarlequin for book information, anything you can purchase there counts for the challenge.

Just remember to use the little bitty Mr Linky to join and the larger one to post your reviews. 

This challenge goes for an entire year and there are only 6 books to read. Easy Peazy right? Oh and Evy's Islandgirl link will take you directly to the challenge post. Come on...Join the fun!

Reading Romances Challenge 2012

Well Here it is almost December and I am getting my ducks in a row....or rather my 2012 Reading Challenges in order. I love challenges. I never really need an excuse to read but challenging me to read a certain number of books or specific type of books gives me just a little more of a thrill. I especially love to make lists of the possible books I could read to satisfy one challenge or another. Yep, I'm a list maker.

Anyway, over at one of my favorite blogs Reading Romances there is an awesome challenge that focuses on my favorite genre (romance of course). I have to join in. Looks like every month there will be a different theme to follow which is pretty cool and I should be able to find all the books I need to participate in my well stocked TBR located in my spare room, under my bed, in the hall closet, behind my bedroom door, etc. Why don't you come join me on this challenge. It starts 01/01/12 and runs through 12/31/12. You can join anytime from now until mid December 2012 (yes that means you can actually join in on the last two weeks of next year because this is all about fun...the more the merrier...join in whenever!) 

So, come on! click here for more info!

Wife For Hire by Janet Evanovich

Synopsis: The Prospective Husband with a Racy Past... — Hank Mallone spotted trouble when she sat down and said she'd marry him! Maggie Toone was a tempting firecracker who'd make his life delightful hell if he let her pretend to be his wife in order to improve his rogue's reputation. Would his harebrained scheme to get a bank loan for his business backfire once Maggie arrived in his small Vermont town and let the gossips take a look? 

Maggie never expected her employer to be drop-dead handsome, or to affect her like a belt of bourbon on her empty stomach, but she was too intrigued by his offer to say no... and too eager to escape a life that made her feel trapped. The deal was strictly business, both agreed... until Hank turned out to be every fantasy she'd ever had, and Maggie was so bright, funny, and downright irresistible that Hank fell head over heels in love! While the town watched, Hank wooed his wife with a charm that had never failed him yet. Could he make her dreams real by proving she belonged in his arms?

My Thoughts: An average read by one of my favorite authors. These Pre-Plum books are just short fun little reads that are more of a filler between better reads. That may sound harsh but I'm not trying to sound that way. Evanovich is my go to girl for fun. I will pick up a Plum book knowing it will make me smile and not tax my brain. These early books are even less taxing. They are the Extra Brand Chewing Gum you chew between meals hoping that they will satisfy you until you can gorge yourself on real food.

This book is short and sweet. Typical of her early books the man falls for the lady early on (read this as meaning love at first site) and then spends much of the book convincing her she loves him back. The man is a total hottie and the girl is a cute spunky gal that ends up being trouble with a capital T. 

Many of these characters appear to be early prototypes for her Plum characters. One of my favorites being Elsie Hawkins. Many of these early books have her as a secondary character. I love her. She would be Grandma Mazur later on in the Plum books. Her character is enough for me to keep reading these early books. You usually find a dog in these books too. In one case the dog's name is Bob which you will recognize from the Plum books if you have read them.

There was a slight mystery as to why people were breaking into the house and if Aunt Kitty's diaries are what they are after. The mystery aspect is weak and the only reason I bring it up is to mention that because of the break-ins  a bit of mayhem ensues. Mostly in the form of Elsie packing a gun and firing it through walls and stuff.

I would recommend this book to fans of Evanovich who need a quick filler read. If you like Harlequin type books this should be right up your alley. 

 

 

Quicksilver by Amanda Quick

Synopsis: Virginia Dean wakes at midnight beside a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand and no memory of the evening's events. Dark energy emanating from the mirrors lining the room, overpowers her senses. With no apparent way in or out, she's rescued by a man she's only met once before, but won't soon forget...

... Owen Sweetwater inherited his family's talent for hunting the psychical monsters who prey on London's women and children, and his investigation into the deaths of two glass-readers has led him here. The high-society types of the exclusive Arcane Society would consider Virginia an illusionist, a charlatan, even a criminal. But Owen knows better, Virginia's powers are real -- and so is the power she exerts over him simply with her presence. And if her abilities can be relied upon in the midst of great danger, they just might be the key to his investigation.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book for the most part but it wasn't a favorite though. It really started out great. Very thrillerish. I really liked the mystery of who was killing the glass light readers and the chemistry between Virginia and Owen was excellent but very little is really said about Owen's psychical gift other than he can kill with it if he chooses and that he isn't really a Hunter but does have some characteristics.

I thought so much time was focused on the investigation and the connection between the two characters that the characters themselves somehow suffered for it. I liked that Owen was a Sweetwater because the mysterious Sweetwater family is mentioned later in the Jayne Ann Krentz installments of the series but the air of mystery surrounding the Sweetwater family is somewhat explained but not to the degree I was satisfied with.

The ending was wrapped up a bit too quickly and the last few paragraphs felt almost pointless to me. I think I would have preferred an ending that had both Virginia and Owen going into business together like Jones and Jones. I think it would have made for a better ending than something along the lines of and they gazed lovingly into each other eyes and knew their love would last a lifetime. Now that isn't how it really ended but you get the idea.

Oh and the title refers to something called the Quicksilver Mirror which is an alchemical weapon of sorts that anyone with a degree of psychical talent could use against another talent to blind that other person's talent to the point of permanent if they wanted. So the device was used. Virginia investigated the mirror. It was discussed briefly and then nothing else was said about it. This happened about 3/4 of the way into the book. It lasted a chapter or maybe two then....nothing. So weird.

.

All The Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison

Synopsis:  When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene -- the prior victim's severed hand.

Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close to this story she really is -- or what it will cost her.

As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth -- the purest evil is born of private lies

My thoughts: I thought it was an ok thriller but not the best I've read. It felt as if I was missing an entire book that came before ATPG but this is actually the first one. The relationship between Baldwin and Taylor is already in full swing and there is little to no romance in this book making it feel more of a thriller than romantic suspense. Their relationship did progress but I would have liked to see more of it. Also the first half of the book talked quite a bit about her trying to cope with almost dying in an incident that happened before this book started. That incident was the turning point in her and Baldwin's relationship marking them as a couple. We came into the story after that was all done. I would have liked to have read about it first hand instead of reading about it rehashed as if I should have already known about it. The last half of the book didn't mention her struggle to get back to normal at all.

The plot was muddied quite a bit with another case that was thrown on Taylor that had absolutely nothing to do with the serial killer one Baldwin was working on. I originally thought this book was Taylor's story but it turned into Baldwin's while we see him trying to figure out the serial killers next move.

There seemed to be quite a few plot threads that were thrown in but didn't seem to have much to do with the main story. The addition of the Special Agent Grimes saga felt gratuitous as an OMG factor and the story could have continued nicely without it. In addition the motive behind the serial killer's spree seems a stretch if best. I find it hard to believe that what appears to be a good person would suddenly decide to start murdering and dismembering a specific type of woman. In most cases when authorities dive into the back ground of most serial killers there were red flags that popped up as early as childhood. I can't buy that a person would start with killing one woman and find they really enjoyed doing and progress rapidly into a frenzied psycho killer. We have to accept the "crazy" card in this case as the killer's motive and means. I just can't.

I also thought that the additional Whitney thread was interesting but I honestly didn't understand how she came up with the knowledge of who the killer was based on some emails with parts of well known poems on them. As there was one 'suspect' and then the real killer I'm still not sure if Whitney actually knew the killer's identity or if she fell for the 'red herring'.

One last thought. I am extremely character driven when it comes to the books I read. I felt that the characters in this book were not as fleshed out as I would have liked. I think the author tried to make them seem more human but didn't quite accomplish it. Neither Baldwin nor Taylor seem very real to me after finishing this book. Great characters should stay with you when the book is done. These do not.

I will read more by this author but will not rush to do so.

The Italian's Future Bride by Michelle Reid

Back Blurb: If there's a baby, then she'll be his bride

Eligible bachelor Rafaelle Villani is used to loving his women...and leaving them. Until his freedom is compromised by a candid newspaper photo, which suggests he has finally fallen...for Rachel Carmichael. Soon the world's press is reporting their engagement!

Rafaelle claims his fake fiancee; twenty-four hours later Rachel has been passionately seduced--and fears she has conceived his baby. So, Rafaelle demands that Rachel pretend to be his future bride!


My Thoughts: I think I always start out my reviews for Harlequin type books saying I rarely read them. Maybe I don't, but I should. When I tally my books read over the course of the year Harlequins take up less than 2% of them. I don't read them all the time because I think they just don't give me enough of a decent story and a good enough romance. Not all of them of course but in general. This book is not an exception to that rule. It is an average offering from the Category Market.

The back blurb does not really do the plot justice because the potential baby scare is in the book but it isn't front runner in the plot. Most of the conflict comes from Rachel and her family's plot to get her picture taken with Rafaelle by the paparazzi in a somewhat compromising pose to save her sister's marriage. What ensues is him pretty much kidnapping her to find out why, her telling the whole story, her family abandoning her while she was in his clutches to continue their much more important lives, him twisting the scene to include their pretend engagement and a whole lot of hot monkey sex.

I was pretty amazed by the amount of sex in this book. I admit to still be under the (apparently) misguided impression that Harlequin Presents is the 'virginal' more prudish member of the Harlequin line. With that said the other stereotypes that category a Presents is still alive and kicking. Tall handsome foreign extremely rich older man--check. Inexperienced young shy not breathtakingly but still beautiful woman--check.

Anyway, lots of sex. I do have to say that there was a lot of passion in this book. The characters fought (verbally) with passion and had a lot of sex (passionately). With all the arguing and sex I was hard pressed to see much of a relationship blossoming but never fear the last 3 pages did have the I Love You's we all come to expect. I knew it was coming but just didn't see how they got there. I saw a lot of mistrust, accusations, arguing, and sex but little else.

As far as the writing, Reid, kept my interest with the conflict between the characters and her dialogue flowed well. There were a couple glaringly obvious typos that pulled me out of the story but overall this book kept my interest. I never once thought about throwing it against the wall and was glad that the couple managed to put their fighting aside to fall in love (despite that I didn't see how they happened along that particular emotion.) On the other hand I would have liked more romance and less sex. I would have liked a bit more character building from Rafaelle because he is still somewhat of a mystery to me and it would have been nice if Rachel's family learned a lesson about their selfish behavior for feeding her to the wolves (um wolf).

So that pretty much balances out to an average book. I'd read more from this author if I need a short book to add between my longer ones.

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath

Synopsis: A duke's son, Grayson Rhodes was a maverick who had left London's suffocating upper class world to earn his own fortune. So he seized the chance to work Abbie Westland's land...and from the moment he first saw Abbie, he was determined to use his arms to work the farm by day and to soothe her through the nights in his strong embrace.

Abbie, with her fiery determination, was different from the fragile beauties he'd known at home. In her Grayson found an honest passion he'd never experienced before. But could their growing love survive the surprising reminder of her past that comes to haunt them?

My Thoughts: I loved the set up of this book. Rich fathers in England, tired of their off-springs haphazard ways, send them off to America to make their fortunes as a last resort. The men, thinking they are arriving to make their fortunes are surprised what they find upon arrival. They end up in a town called Fortune, Texas and each man receives room and board for their labor working on a cotton farm. None realized the grueling work they had in store for them.

The characters themselves, although decent ones, I never really warmed up to as much as I would have liked. Abbie tends to come across as an uneducated hick and Grayson acts completely different once meeting Abbie than what he was described as being. I never really saw why Gray was so smitten with Abbie. Also it appears that Abbie my have intimacy issues and Abbie's late husband is all but accused of forcing himself upon her yet she defends him to the bitter end. There are several references to Grayson not ever being loved while growing up and I ended up feeling as if I were being forced to feel sorry for him. Call me callous but I didn't. Sometimes a connection can be made between the character and the reader and sometimes there isn't.

The major twist in the book was an obvious one to me and the drama that ensues seemed to drag on while trying to wrap up the happily ever after. The final event (a Hurricane) that brought on the happily ever after felt almost out of place and I'd say unnecessary if it weren't for the major twist that needed dealt with for our hero and heroine to be together.

What I did like about this book was the romance itself was just sweet. Almost to the point of overkill but not quite. I felt the romance of this book really balances the negative aspects out and makes this an enjoyable read. Certainly not my favorite Heath and not a keeper but it has some intriguing secondary characters who have their stories told in the second and third books of this trilogy and I will definitely be reading them.

When You Dare by Lori Foster

Synopsis:  The tougher they are, the harder they fall... — Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped -- and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all….


My Thoughts: When you Dare just wasn't a favorite.

The characters, although likable, just had issues. Molly acted exactly opposite of what I would think a woman would act who was held for over a week beaten and starved almost to death. Dare was supposed to be all macho but I expected him to insist on a sit down and talk about your feelings session. He pretty much knew what Molly should have been feeling so he kept her at arms length for the most part refusing to act on the chemistry they were feeling. I would have liked to have seen more of him in action (not in the bedroom kind of action way either) I think that what this book was missing was what Suzanne Brockmann is able to do in her TD&D books (Prince Joe, Everyday Average Jones etc). Hot sensitive men who you never question their testosterone levels because they are still all men. You get to see them on a mission and in action and still get to know their intimate thoughts and feelings about the women they love. It's quite a balance of sensitivity and macho but Brockmann pulls it off expertly whereas Foster doesn't. I was more fascinated by the secondary characters than I was the main ones. Those were great characters.

Oh and I thought this book could have been at least 100 pages shorter. It seemed to drag on and on but the cover is totally hawt which almost makes up for it.